Undeserved Labels

This dessert is called Oatmeal Yucks. That couldn't be further from the truth. These are delicious. Kids love them. Well, my kids do. I'm not sure exactly where they got their name, but rumor has it a small child saw a grown-up cutting and serving them up. The melted marshmallow was making long strings of white from the 9 x 13 pan to the serving plate. The kid looked at that and said, "Yuck!" And apparently it stuck.

So, all these years later, they are still called Oatmeal Yucks.

Oatmeal Yucks
1 C brown sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 C oatmeal
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/2 pkg miniature marshmallows
Cinnamon sugar

Combine together the sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Then, pour on the marshmallows. Spread them around so they cover any places where the dough is not covered with chocolate chips. Crumble the remaining half of the dough on top of the chocolate/marshmallow layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Let cool before slicing into bars.

A.W.O.L.

Yep, that's me. Sorry. I've got a huge test I have to take no later than Monday, but possibly tomorrow. Huge. My ability to buy groceries depends on this test. My ability to pay for the gas that heats up my oven depends on this test. My ability to pay for the internet connection that allows me to update this blog depends on this test. So... yeah... it matters to all y'all that I pass this test.

So, miss me if you must, but send a prayer upwards that my little gray brain cells store all the info I'm reading. I'm praying for total recall when test time comes.

Look at it this way: If I pass, I'll celebrate with alfajores, bread bowls full of yummy soup, snickerdoodle cake, ginger spiced peaches, brioche, Mormon Margarita cupcakes, croissants and lots of other "let's get back to baking" menu items.

P.S. Yes, most days I've been studying with My Favorite Cookies and a mug of delightful Hot Cocoa warming my bones and waking up my brain. I am also enjoying the fruits of my earlier labors. After picking raspberries and blackberries this summer, I made up some Raspberry ganache and put it in the freezer. This week I've used it to make Raspberry Chocolate Hot Cocoa.

Okay, okay... I've got time to at least give you that ganache recipe.

Raspberry Ganache
8 ounces dark chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark Baking Bar)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 C raspberries, pureed and strained to remove seeds.

Bring raspberry puree to room temperature. Finely chop chocolate into small pieces (use a serrated knife for best result). Use a double boiler, or if you don't have one, place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate. Cool to 100 degrees F.

Melt the butter and allow it to cool to 100 degrees F. When the temperature of both the butter and the chocolate are at 100 degrees, pour the butter into the chocolate. Stir to combine. Use small circular strokes to minimize the amount of air incorporated into the mixture. Next stir in the raspberry puree using the same small strokes.

When the mixture reaches 70 degrees F., it is cool enough to use as frosting, glaze or in a pastry bag for piping. If you want to store the ganache for later use, place it in a tightly covered container and freeze it.

A.D.D. in the Kitchen

Can you say "distraction?"
So, I go downstairs to start my alfajores. I realize I've already eaten all the dulce de leche I made earlier this week. (Okay people, I had help. Me and a friend ate it all. I'm not at liberty to say which one because she doesn't want to share the label of 'oinker' with me.) So... time to make more dulce. But I'm madly studying for a test I have to take next week. I don't have time to be watching a pot of dulce and stirring every 20 minutes for the next 2 1/2 - 3 hours. So I decide there's more ways than one to skin a cat... or more to the point, more ways than one to make dulce de leche.

I open a can of Sweetened Condensed milk. Pour it into a pie tin. Cover the tin with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the pie tin inside my roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water 1/2 inch up the sides of the pie tin. And set the timer to bake my dulce de leche for 1 hour and 20 minutes. After it is done, I will let it sit for a few minutes and then pour it into a glass bowl and use my electric beaters to whip it up nice and creamy. (By the way, if any of you decide to make dulce de leche this way, remember to check your pan every 30 minutes and refill the boiling water so it doesn't boil dry.)

Next I will be baking the dough for the alfajor cookies. But, before I start, I realize I am FREEZING! It is so stinkin' cold. So I decide to have some hot cocoa. Then I start thinking how nice it would be to have REAL hot cocoa, not that powdered nonsense.

So, 1 hour and 20 minutes later, the timer goes off for the dulce de leche and I am still fiddling with the hot cocoa recipe I am concocting. It's become an obsession. I want it creamy. Strong chocolate taste, but still sweet.

Crud! I forgot to make the alfajor cookie dough (it has to chill for at least two hours).

So, y'all will have to wait until tomorrow or Monday before I post the alfajores. Sorry. But here's a KILLER hot cocoa recipe. The ABSOLUTE best hot cocoa on the planet. Bar none. The secret? Use chocolate ganache as the chocolate base, not cocoa powder. What a difference! This hot cocoa is so tantalizing it should be labeled "liquid sin." I've had three mugs of it already while I study. I called HenPecks and told her to get her bee-you-ti-ful self here and try it. (She's been a little cold in her home office the past couple of days. I figure she needs to thaw out.) As you can see, she got a little anxious. Look real close. Yeah, chocolate drool.

Not that I blame her. This stuff is to die for good.

Liquid Sin Hot Cocoa
8 oz. dark baking chocolate (you choose how dark you want it)
1 C heavy cream
4 C whole milk
1/2 C cream
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp - 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Start by making chocolate ganache. Chop 8 ounces dark chocolate into very small pieces. I used 52% cacao, however, if that is too strong for you, consider using a semi-sweet chocolate baking bar. (I find using a serrated knife works best for chopping the chocolate small enough to best facilitate the melting.) Put the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil. When it has risen to the top of the saucepan (but before it boils over -- duh!), remove it from heat and pour it over the chocolate bits. Let it sit for one minute. Then, using a rubber spatula, stir until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Set the ganache aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a boil over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the milk mixture. Next add the cocoa powder and whisk (or use an immersion blender if you are blessed to have one) until cocoa is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the ganache. Let it sit for a minute or two. Then stir 4-5 minutes until it is well combined. Finally, add the vanilla and stir well.

Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

I tend to top my hot cocoa with whipped cream, but you could also add marshmallows, if you are so inclined.

Now, consider this recipe a master recipe. Imagine all the things you can do with it. If you like strong chocolate, consider using bittersweet chocolate for the ganache. Or, add another tablespoon of cocoa powder. If you like a milder chocolate, use a semi-sweet or milk chocolate bar for the ganache. How about adding some orange flavor extract? Yum! Also, consider making a Raspberry Ganache and voilá, you have raspberry chocolate hot cocoa.

Other options would be to flavor the whipped cream. Cinnamon Whipped Cream would be decadently good. Or, add a little chili powder and cinnamon to the milk and you've got a delicious Mexican hot chocolate drink. Yum! The possibilities are endless.

Dressing Up Leftovers

Leftover frosting. Both my favorite chocolate frosting and some dulce de leche frosting. Did you have a mom or a grandma that put leftover frosting on graham crackers and made graham cracker sandwiches? I did. So did Mr. Doughboy. I used to do that for my kids as well. But now our Doughnut Holes are 27, 24, 21, 19, 18 and 18 respectively. (Here's a riddle: the two 18-year-olds are not twins. They are a day apart.) So, I'm thinking graham cracker frosting sandwiches wouldn't be high on their favorite dessert list.

My solution for Sunday dinner's dessert was to make a chocolate cake. I put the dulce de leche frosting in the center and then frosted the top and sides with the chocolate frosting. It was ruled a hit by those that ate it (none of whom happened to be our children).

This chocolate cake recipe ranks right up there for taste, crumb and height. It is dense and rich with flavor. It tastes best if you make it the day before and give the flavors a chance to ripen.

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
4 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 C unsweetened cocoa (best quality you've got)

1 C unsalted butter, softened

2 C sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tsp vanilla extract

1 C sour cream

1 C hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil two 9-inch round cake pans. Line them with parchment paper and then grease and flour the paper.

In either a medium bowl or on top of a piece of wax paper (my preference), sift the flour, baking soda and cocoa together; set aside. In a separate bowl, using your electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar until it is pale yellow and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they are well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the sour cream and the hot water. Begin and end with the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter between the pans. When filled, tap the pans sharply one time on the counter to release any air and settle the batter. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the cakes are puffed and spring back when lighly touched.

Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. When they are cooled, remove them from the cake pans. Trim the domed top off of one layer so that it is flat. Invert that layer on a serving plate so that the cut side is down. Frost the top of that layer using whatever frosting you desire. Place the second layer of cake, domed side up, on top of the first. Cover it with the remaining frosting. This cake is best served the next day.

Note: Because I was making this cake to use up leftover frosting, I used a dulce de leche frosting in between the layers and My Favorite Chocolate Frosting on the top and sides. To enhance the subtle dulce de leche flavor, I also placed three tablespoonfuls of dulce de leche (not the frosting, but actual dulce de leche) on top of the batter in each cakepan and swirled it with a knife to incorporate it into the batter before baking.

Ganache with Panache

There are myrriad flavors and uses for ganache. Some ganache will have a strong chocolate taste. Others are infused with flavors like berry or citrus. Ganache can be used to frost or glaze a cake or as a filling for many different kinds of desserts. Some even use a ganache base for hot cocoa drinks. The consistency and thickness of ganache can be modified based on what delicious treats you are creating it for.

I love white chocolate. So, here is my favorite White Chocolate Ganache recipe.

White Chocolate Ganache from Sherry Yard
8 oz white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 C heavy cream
1 Tbsp light corn syrup

Put chocolate pieces and butter in medium bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Cover the bowl and let sit for one minute. Use a rubber spatula, slowly stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted. Let cool.
You can keep the ganache in the fridge for up to two weeks. Whenever you need it, simply reheat it in the microwave and then let it cool until it is whatever consistency you need.

Sherry Yard suggests you can infuse the cream with lots of different things for a variety of tastes, including 1 Tbsp lavender flowers, or 1 Tbsp honey, or 1 Tbsp sliced fresh ginger. You can also add 1 Tbsp rum, Grand Marnier or other liquors to the ganache as well. Just add them at the end after the chocolate mixture has been well incorporated.